Jim Murray: An Autobiography

Now in his 70s, Murray was arguably the best sportswriter in the country in his prime, when his Los Angeles Times column was syndicated in hundreds of papers. How good he was can be seen here in his hilarious characterizations--obviously taken from an earlier work--of cities: Philadelphia ``would boo a cancer cure,'' New York should bear a sign ``Out of Order'' and Louisville smells ``like an old bar rag.'' In his more recent observations on sports, the writing is less impressive, although Murray still creates telling metaphors. More memorable are the personal chapters about his wife, who died of cancer in the 39th year of their marriage; his children, the youngest of whom died of a drug overdose in his 20s; and his own battle to stave off blindness. Murray concludes with chapters on racism and TV in America, both well thought-out and worth pondering. (June)